Pyrophoric lighter



April 28, 1964 c. G. SERO MANTERO 3,130,568

PYROPHORIC LIGHTER Filed Sept. 12, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

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April 28, 1964 c. ca. sE Ro MANTERO 3,130,568

V BYROPHORIC LIGHTER INVHV TOR. 64ft 05 GWJTA V0 SBFO #1447590 Arryj;

United States Patent 3,130,563 PYRGPHORiC LIGHTER Carlos Gustavo Sero Mantel-o, .Iuncal 573, Itnzaingo, Argentina Filed Sept. 12, 1961, Ser. No. 137,576 7 Claims. (Ci. 67-71) The present invention relates to pyrophoric lighters and more particularly to lighters of this character, wherein the longitudinal axis of the lighter body and the longitudinal axis of the flint guide are both parallel to the rotational axis of the spark wheel.

The elements of a pyrophoric lighter comprise a spark wheel, a spring-pressed flint engaging a serrated surface of the spark wheel, a wick having one end positioned to receive sparks from the flint and spark wheel, the other end of the wick extending into a fuel reservoir.

In prior art devices, the path of the flint is usually perpendicular to the rotational axis of the spark wheel. The exposed terminal portion of the wick is also perpendicular to the rotational axis of the spark wheel.

In the lighter of the present invention, the path along which the flint is guide and the longitudinal axis of the wick are both parallel to the rotational axis of the spark wheel which, in turn, is coaxial with the cylindrical body of the lighter. This arrangement results in a marked increase in compactness of the lighter as compared with the prior art devices.

Briefly, the lighter of the present invention comprises a cylindrical body. A spark wheel is revolubly mounted at one end of the body, the other end of the body being adapted for immersion in a fuel reservoir. The fuel reservoir, if desired, may be attached to the body as an extension thereof. A wick extends coaxially with the rotational axis of the spark wheel longitudinally of the body, the body being coaxial with the rotational axis of the spark wheel. One end of the wick is positioned to receive sparks from the spark wheel which has a serrated sparkproducing surface engaged by a pair of spring-pressed flints, A central member extends along the axis of the body from the end which is immersed in the fuel. A pair of semi-cylindrical guide members partially laterally surround the central member and have spaced confronting lateral edges which, together with the internal surface of the body and the central member define two guide paths for the flints and the springs by which the flints are pressed.

In one embodiment of the invention, the wick is tubular and the central member is a shaft upon which the spark Wheel is mounted.

In another embodiment, the wick is solid and the central member is a tubular conduit Within which the wick is confined.

Various object, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification together with the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof.

Referring to the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional view in elevation of a lighter embodying the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the lighter shown in FIG. 1.

FIGURE 3 is a plan sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIGURE 4 is a plan sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 1.

FIGURE 5 is a plan sectional view taken along the line 55 of FIG. 1.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view in elevation of a modified form of lighter embodying the invention.

FIGURE 7 is a plan view of the lighter as shown in FIG. 6.

3,130,568 Patented Apr. 28, 1964 FIGURE 8 is a plan sectional view taken along the line 88 of FIG. 6.

FIGURE 9 is a plan sectional view taken along the line 9-9 of FIG. 6.

Referring to FIG. 1, the lighter comprises a cylindrical body portion designated generally as 1. The body 1 consists of an outer shell 2 and an iner shell 3 spaced from the outer shell 2. The lower end portion 4- of the inner shell 3 is frusto-conical for cooperation with a complementary inwardly sloping frusto-conical bottom portion 5 of the outer shell 2. The frusto-conical portions 4 and 5 limit downward movement of the inner shell 3 within the outer shell 2. A tubular wick 6 extends between the outer and inner cylindrical shells 2 and 3 coaxially therewith, thereby frictionally holding the inner and outer shells assembled together. Supplemental fastening means (not shown) may be provided, if desired, to hold the two shells 2 and 3 assembled with the wick 6 between them.

At its upper end, the wick 6 extends above the upper end of the body 1. The lower end of the wick 6 extends outwardly of the body 1 through a circular aperture 7 formed in the bottom of the outer shell 2 into a fuel reservoir 8 indicated in dotted lines. The fuel reservoir 8 may have any desired configuration and, accordingly, details of its construction have been omitted from the drawing. An integrally formed annular flange 9 limits downward movement of the body 1 into the reservoir 8. As indicated, the fuel reservoir 8 is a cylindrical extension of the body 1 and frictionally holds the body 1 therein, extending below the body 1 for a distance sufiicient to provide the desired fuel capacity.

Immediately above the flange 9, the outer shell 2 is provided with a terminal portion 10 of reduced diameter. Freely revolubly fitted over the reduced diameter portion 10 is a peripherally knurled thumb wheel member 11 shaped in the form of an inverted cup. Immediately above the top of the body 1, the pheripheral wall of the cup-shaped member 11 is provided with a series of lateral draft openings 12 for directing combustion air toward the base of the exposed upper end portion of the wick 6. The top of the cup-shaped thumb wheel member 11 is provided with a series of elongated arcuate flame openings 13 concentric with the rotational axis of the thumb wheel member 11 and located directly above the upper edge of the wick 6. Adjacent to the inner edges of two diametrically opposed ones of the flame openings 13 are two integrally formed downwardly extending lugs 14. The lugs 14 engage in complementary lateral recesses 14' (FIG. 3) formed in a spark wheel 15 for coupling the thumb wheel member 11 to the spark wheel 15. The flat annular lower surface of the spark wheel 15 is of a diameter greater than that of the upper portion which is engaged by the lugs 14. The lower surface of the spark wheel 15 is provided with radially extending spark-producing serrations 15'.

The thumb wheel member 11 and spark wheel 15 are freely revolubly mounted on a central member constituted by a vertical axially extending shaft 16. The lower end 17 of shaft 16 is threaded into the bottom of the inner shell 3 of the body 1. Between the transversely slotted head 18 of the shaft 16 and the upper surface of the thumb wheel member 11, there is an anti-friction washer 19. Two vertically upwardly spring-pressed flints 20 and 21 engage the spark producing serrations 15 of the spark wheel 15. The flints 20 and 21 are guided between the lateral edges of two semi-cylindrical guide members 22 and 23 (FIG. 4) loosely fitted Within the inner shell 3 around the central vertical shaft 16. The spaced con fronting lateral edges 24 and 25 of the guide members 22 and 23 are arcuately concavely shaped to conform to diameters of the flints 2t) and 21. The flints 20 and 21 are yieldingly urged upwardly by helical compression springs 26 and 27, respectively. The springs 26 and 27 are guided between the concave edges 24 and 25 of the guide members 22 and 23, the inner wall of the inner shell 3 and the lateral surface of the central shaft 16. Follower members 28 and 29 are interposed between the upper ends of the springs 28 and 29 and the bottoms of the flints 20 and 21.

In the modified form shown in FIGS. 6 through 9, the body 601 consists of a lower unitary cylindrical shell portion threadedly connected at 630 to a shorter tubular upper portion. The thumb wheel member consists of peripherally knurled ring 31 rigidly secured by tapered threads to the upper portion 615a of a centrally apertured spark wheel 15. The wick 606 is solid instead of tubular as in the case of FIGS. 1 through 5. The wick 606 is enclosed within a vertically extending central member in the form of a tubular conduit 632 coaxial with the body 1. The lower end of the conduit 632 is rigidly secured to the bottom of the body 601. The conduit 632 operationally replaces the shaft 16 of FIG. 1 with respect to the semi-cylindrical guide members 622 and 623.

The draft openings 612 are formed in the upper portion of the body 601 directly above the upper end of the lower cylindrical shell portion. The annular flange 609 is formed on the upper portion of the body 691. The upper end of the upper portion of body 601 is turned inwardly to form an inwardly directed annular flange which engages the flat upper surface of an outwardly extending annular flange portion of the spark wheel 615. The spark wheel 615 is thus freely revolubly retained within the body 601.

The wick conduit 632 terminates at its upper end slightly below the serrations 615' of the spark wheel 615 so that sparks may freely travel into contact with the upper end of the wick 606. The flame opening consists of an upwardly and outwardly flaring central aperture 15b formed in the spark wheel 615. The upper end of the wick 6th; is located at the bottom of the flame opening 61 b. The fuel reservoir 8 of FIG. 1 has been omitted from FIG. 6 for simplicity of illustration.

While I have shown and described what I believe to be the best embodiments of my invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A pyrophoric lighter comprising a tubular cylindrical body, said body comprising inner and outer shell portions, a spark wheel freely revolubly disposed at one end of said body coaxially therewith, the other end of said body being adapted for insertion into a fuel reservoir, a tubular wick extending longitudinally of said body coaxially there with, said wick being engaged between said shell portions, at least one spring-pressedflint movable along a path spaced from and parallel to the rotational axis of said spark wheel, and means defining a serrated flat annular spark-producing surface on said spark wheel positioned for engagement by said flint, one end of said wick being positioned to receive sparks from said spark-producing surface, the other end of said wick extending beyond said other end of said body for the absorption of fuel.

2. A lighter according to claim 1, wherein said body comprises a central conduit having one end secured to said other end of said body, said conduit being coaxial with the rotational axis of said spark wheel, said wick being laterally confined within said conduit.

3. A lighter according to claim 1, having two springpressed flints, said lighter further comprising two spaced tially laterally enclosed by said guide members.

5. A lighter according to claim 4, wherein said central member is a shfit, said spark wheel being revolubly mounted at the other end of said shaft, said wick being tubular and extending laterally around said guide members.

6. A lighter according to claim 4, wherein said central member is a tubular conduit, said wick being laterally confined within said conduit.

7. A lighter according to claim 3, wherein said flints are cylindrical and of equal diameters, the thickness of each guide member being substantially equal to the diam eter of each flint, said confronting edges being arcuately concavely shaped to conform to the diameters of said flints.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,462,143 Sudbrink Feb. 22, 1949 2,499,547 Waggoner Mar. 7, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 242,682 Switzerland Oct. 16, 1946 380,600 Germany Sept. 10, 1923 

1. A PYROPHORIC LIGHTER COMPRISING A TUBULAR CYLINDRICAL BODY, SAID BODY COMPRISING INNER AND OUTER SHELL PORTIONS, A SPARK WHEEL FREELY REVOLUBLY DISPOSED AT ONE END OF SAID BODY COAXIALLY THEREWITH, THE OTHER END OF SAID BODY BEING ADAPTED FOR INSERTION INTO A FUEL RESERVOIR, A TUBULAR WICK EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID BODY COAXIALLY THEREWITH, SAID WICK BEING ENGAGED BETWEEN SAID SHELL PORTIONS, AT LEAST ONE SPRING-PRESSED FLINT MOVABLE ALONG A PATH SPACED FROM AND PARALLEL TO THE ROTATIONAL AXIS OF SAID SPARK WHEEL, AND MEANS DEFINING A SERRATED FLAT ANNULAR SPARK-PRODUCING SURFACE ON SAID SPARK WHEEL POSITIONED FOR ENGAGEMENT BY SAID FLINT, ONE END OF SAID WICK BEING POSITIONED TO RECEIVE SPARKS FROM SAID SPARK-PRODUCING SURFACE, THE OTHER END OF SAID WICK EXTENDING BEYOND SAID OTHER END OF SAID BODY FOR THE ABSORPTION OF FUEL. 